Woodland Planting Advice

[Oly1]

Morning All,

 

I was hoping for some woodland planting advice, as our local Wildlife Trust aren't getting back to us, and you guys probably know more anyway!   We have 1.5acres that we have as wildflower hay meadow, but with fewer folk about willing to take the hay I'm thinking about planting it up as a native mixed woodland. We don't put livestock on at all. No deer. Rabbits aren't an issue. 

 

Soil is very fertile, free draining, South Cheshire sandy loam. 

 

Area is 1.5acres. Flat, elevated from surrounding roads and land. Gets plenty of sun except top right (seasonally shaded from neighbouring oak tree to the south) 

 

Constraints:

Underground services at 1.2m deep shown in red and blue

Barn owls nest in a box on our Oak tree shown in yellow

Access is via field gate at the bottom right (south east) on the plan below.

 

Ideally it needs to be locally native, if not UK native, low density enough to not effect the barn owls, roots must avoid the services. Of course...ideally we'd like it to be established (or at least in its way, starting to look like a woodland) within ten years.  The aim of the woodland is purely for our enjoyment and widlife.

 

What species should we be thinking about? Locally we have oak, field maple, birch...although I am unsure whether the second is locally native.

How far from services do we need to keep each type of tree? 

What spacing should we have between trees? 

Do we buy trees already 6ft or higher (pros/cons - will these get established faster but as being older trees are they more susceptible to first year failure)? 

We have about 20 oak saplings 1ft tall from our existing 3 mature oaks. 

Where's good to get trees? We are aware of lots of free trees on offer at the moment, but they are tiny and are wanting high density...so we are thinking we are likely to have to buy trees?

Is it best that we aim for a mixed age woodland that succeeds and develop? (so buy 6ft birch trees, that may establish first, but then taken over by young oaks, etc) 

Are there any other questions we should be asking? 

 

All advice would be greatly appreciated 👍

Edited January 2, 2022 by Oly1

[Khriss]

Not Birch, takes over - sounds like yr soil will be good for Beech, smaller trees establish faster, thou it will depend on what you actually can get yr hands on? Oaks definately, and Wild Service too. K

[dumper]

I disagree plant birch, you have looked locally and got a list I would add hawthorn and sloe don’t forget the understory, woods have little wild life value if the wind can get through I would plant in groups nothing taller than a metre, wildlife likes edges and glades so maybe only cover 60 to 70 % with trees then have rides and paths between the glades 

plant lots then as time goes by fell and leave so you gradually thin out the planting 

plant at what ever centres your budget runs to thicker on edges thinner towards the middle of the groups plant mixed and single species groups and maybe single specimen 

make sure all your edges are wavy no straight lines 

build some piles of branches and logs metre high 300 MM into the ground Chuck the soil you dig out back over the top

if you can get woodchip mulch the planting if you can get only some mulch and leave in piles to rot down 

Read village idiots thread on here about his experiences he already has a wood 

dig a pond 

but most of all enjoy doing it it will be a big learning curve!

[Stere]

What are the services?

 

 

 

Don't waste money on bigger trees imo, stuff like mulching & weed control makes more impact.

 

Just get the basic bare root trees.

 

Would also consider other not strictly locally native species such as sycamore, beech, scots pine, lime etc as think thoose "estate forestry type mixes" make attractive woodlands.

 

Would group the tree planting into small blocks of same species and fade/mix  the edges into the neigbouring areas of a block of a different  species  rather than randomly mix the planting. Then also have a few randoms dotted about, and extra things like cherry or wild pear..

 

How about some edible stuff apples cherries plums cobnuts etc  closer to house etc?

 

Esp on large size rootstocks apples pears etc make attractive trees for the fruits and blossom even if you don't pick/use any of it. Also wild pears crab apples etc

 

I like a Sweet chesnut could plant some with possibility of coppice in future like  if the soil/local climate is right.

 

Dont get many that far north though?

 

Also there is a diesease wiping SC out.....

 

Hazels also maybe  as shorter trees towards house side of the plot cast  less shade....

 

 

Would be careful if planting sloe as dislike  invasive blackthorn scrub suckering everywhere.

 

Like birch nice attractive trees especially when planted in stands of a few dozen.

 

 

[headgroundsman]

I have planted 2 acres of trees and left 2 acres of wildflower meadow. I have also planted just for wildlife and happy to discuss what i think i did right and what i wish i had done. I would leave a 5 metre strip around the edges of the field and same down the centre. This will leave access for tractors, avoid the services and give feeding routes for barn owls and bats. I planted at a low density of1200 trees per Ha and with leaving 5m around the edges i ended up with 750 trees. I agree with planting small bare rooted trees as these will establish better. You will get a good difference in height within 5-6 years if you choose trees and shrubs with differing growth rates

 

[drinksloe]

Do u have any other aims in wot u'd like to achieve/attract??

 

 

Some good advice above already about leaving plenty of wide rides, u could possibly look at altering ur wild flower seed mix for others nectar rich/butterfly etc, heaps of different seed mixes available from likes of kings or brights.

 

If for wildlife an understory is quite important so shrubby type trees/plants.

If u plant in small patches if u can plant shrubby/low trees round edges with the highest growing trees towards the centre 

 

Theyre will always be some maintence many of the good shrubby understory plants can be quite invasive if left to there own esp in good soil.

 

Is it possible to fence it? While u say ur ok for deer and rabbits if u want widlife to breed chances are predators will be ur biggest problem, and has chesihire not got big numbers of badger?

Mnay nature reserves are now predator fencing areas and seeing big differences.

[Oly1]

Lots of great advice there, many thanks!!  Loving the ideas of rides, open areas, but then areas of denser understory and multi-height trees too.  The 5m strip around the edge and through the centre is a great idea, for wildlife, us to walk, provide access, but also to keep away from the services.

 

On this list so far then is 

Oak

Field maple

Birch

Hawthorn

Sloe/blackthorn? (Can be invasive, suckering)

Sycamore?

Beech

Lime?

Odd extra tree like cherry or wild pear, apple, plum, cobnuts?

Sweet chestnut to coppice? This far north? Also disease?

Hazel

 

1 hour ago, Stere said:

What are the services?

Red is ground source heat pump loop. Blue is an electric cable

 

1 hour ago, headgroundsman said:

I have planted 2 acres of trees and left 2 acres of wildflower meadow. I have also planted just for wildlife and happy to discuss what i think i did right and what i wish i had done.

Many thanks, such a chat may come in very handy

 

45 minutes ago, drinksloe said:

Do u have any other aims in wot u'd like to achieve/attract??

It's more a case of managed rewilding I guess!  We already enjoy the butterfly and bee life we attract through the hay meadow and have bats in the oaks too.  We also do already have large log piles that we have in the field margins.  And there will be rides, open areas of the woodland too.  The field is partly fenced (old pig netting well stuck into the hedges!) which I think leads to very few predators passing through on the trail cameras, but that said badgers and the foxes are so hard hit around here by the hunt I don't worry too much about them - if anything a bit of refuge may be welcomed in some ways!

[headgroundsman]

1 minute ago, Oly1 said:

Many thanks, such a chat may come in very handy

I have time on my hands at the moment as in hospital waiting for discharge but i think the wife will have me on house arrest for a week or to when at home

[Oly1]

1 minute ago, headgroundsman said:

I have time on my hands at the moment as in hospital waiting for discharge but i think the wife will have me on house arrest for a week or to when at home

I'm sorry to hear that, I hope its not been too disruptive a Xmas. 

 

I'll discuss what we have found from the above so far with my wife and then give you a call in the coming days/week if that's OK?  If you could PM me your number that would be great.

 

 

 

 

Thanks again all for the input so far...feel free to wade in and add to the knowledge bank...its all great info!!

 

 

[headgroundsman]

Only thing i can add to your list would be rowan and guelder rose I would plant 25% oaks but plant other faster growing trees a bit closer to the oaks to encourage straighter oaks when you or your offspring do the final thinning to leave straighter oaks. I wish i had planted more hazels,just becacaue i like them and the rods are useful for bean canes and walking sticks amd a few fruit trees. I have a few crab apples